Harbingers of the Silver Flame

[Gildedragon]

After some time Zal is ready to join the party, dressed in his night-black armor. Check the middle one first? Separate the one Portside from any reinforcements? he ventures as they are lowered to the water.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari is silent, carefully watching the docks as the rowboat nears.

[Saskia]

Sure, that or come up on the side where we can't be flanked. They both have their advantages.

[Mantid]

Despite Aria's concern, you row the boat into the middle of the cove, heading for the father ship. Everyone keeps their eyes and ears sharp as the boat slides across the water. The small splashes of the oars hardly make a sound over the sound of the water lapping against the docks and cliffs and you make it to the boat without problem.

Pulling yourselves over the railing of the boat from the waterside, you find the vessel empty, except for a few rats that scurry away onto the dock. A few supplies sit at the aft and scattered under the rows of benches for the rowers.

Aria

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Your sharp ears hear what sounds like two voices coming from the east end of the cave, where boxes and supplies are piled up at the end of the dock.

You're not sure, but it sounds like something is snoring in the other boat.

Zal

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Something about the shadows at the far end of the dock catches your eye. Your certain something is moving behind the piles of boxes.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari draws her sword and steps onto the docks, still scanning carefully, but slightly more relaxed than before.

[Gildedragon]

Zal touches Ari's shoulder. Shh. he says before going invisible and darting through shadows towards the boxes. As silent and carefully as he can muster he peeks behind them.

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maneuvers: cloak of deception, shadow jaunt, shadow blade technique, shadow garrote, wolf fang strike, mountain hammer.
Move silently:(1d20+16)[23]
Hide:(1d20+17)[21]

[Mantid]

Zal slips off into the shadows, disappearing from your view. A short moment later you hear someone from the direction of the supply piles shout a word in some dissonant language. You hear nothing else afterwards.

Aria

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You recognize the word. It's a somewhat obscure curse word in the Infernal language which alludes to angels doing unnatural things to someone.

Zal

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You dart between the boxes without a noise, the shadows hiding you perfectly. Behind a stack of boxes and folded sails, you find a large half-orc and a human barbarian, nearly as large as the half-orc, seated on boxes with a makeshift table between them. On the table are a couple piles of coins and food, as well as some cards.

"So you callin' or raisin'?" the half-orc asks, in a hushed tone, giving the human a challenging grin.

The human lays his hand of cards down, face up and smile. "Yer bluffin'," he says. "Call." The half-orc puts his cards down and the human spits out some word in a language you don't recognize.

"Shh!" the half-orc says, panic in his voice. He gestures toward the other side of the cave. "You'll wake the heads up."

The human seems to pale and mumbles an apology while the half-orc the pot of coins and food towards himself.

[Saskia]

Aria screws her face quizzically. She muses quietly, barely speaking at all, He couldn't have been seen, or if he was he took the guy out quick... She looks between Ko and Ari and says quietly I heard what sounds like snoring coming from the other boat, check it out or wait for Zal?

[mistformsquirrl]

"Wait for Zal, he may need help and even if he doesn't, I'd rather have him backing me up if we run into trouble on the boat."

[Gildedragon]

Zal pauses to draw a vial of poison to coat one of his daggers. Sheathing it he, moves carefully among the debris towards the pair. He pauses, hiding in one of the crates to catch his breath and draw a second vial.

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If I can take ten on these checks I'd rather do so (H:27, Ms:26) moving at half speed.
If I can't...

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H:(1d20+17)[20]
Ms:(1d20+16)[25]

[Mantid]

Zal: The pair are engrossed in their game and don't seem to notice you.

[Gildedragon]

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Refocusing my stances.

Zal takes a moment before deciding a course of action. Hand on his poisoned dagger he throws it at the Orc, going invisible as he tumbles to a new hiding spot, drawing his shortsword and activating its capsule, releasing the poison on the blade.

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(1d20+11)[24] (1d4)[1] fort dc 13: unconciousness.
Hide: (1d20+17)[22] (this is with the bonus to hide and penalty from sniping taken into account)
Initiative: (1d20+5)[9]

[Mantid]

Zal

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You time your throw when the half-orc is leaning forward to rake in another pot. He grunts slightly when the dagger pierces his back. He collapses on the center of the makeshift table, his face burying into the small pile of coins and food in the center.

The barbarian pauses for a moment, unsure of what just happened. He stands and glances back to the farther ship, scowling in uncertainty as he reached for a large axe leaning against a nearby crate.

[Gildedragon]

Zal carefully approaches the second barbarian, drawing his sword while keeping to the shadows. He activates the capsule on it, coating the blade with the soporific, before jabbing the barbarian with it.

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Hide: (1d20+17)[33] -5 if the barbarian is at less than 30', -20 if at 30 or more.
Short sword: (1d20+11)[17] (1d6+1)[5] dc 13 unconciousness.

[Mantid]

Zal

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Your blade strikes true, slipping between gaps in the hides the barbarians wears and sliding into his side. "Ah!" the barbarians yells, but he proves tougher than his companion, and remains standing. He grabs his axe and swings it at your head, but you easily duck the heavy, slow attack.

"Ya damn heads!" the barbarians yells. "Get up! We 'aves intruders! Go tell the boss!"

Everyone else:

You hear a man yell out in surprise and pain, followed by the same voice yelling "Ya damn heads! Get up! We 'aves intruders! Tell the boss!" The words echo in the cave for a moment, then you hear something beginning to move in the other boat.

[mistformsquirrl]

"We should go help him, sounds like Zal's found trouble." Ari starts moving toward the commotion without waiting.

[Gildedragon]

Guys go on, I can take care of this. Zal calls out. To the barbarian Zal seems to pull back into the shadows as the attack fails to connect with him. You should have fallen asleep says Zal, clenching his teeth as he thrusts his sword at the man. In the dim light a second shadowy blade seems to echo the Brelander's attack. You would have lived longer he says, somersaulting backwards, drawing his second dagger in the process. He leaps onto the poker table, swords at the ready.

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Child of shadow stance.
Shadow Blade Technique:
(1d20+11)[19](1d20+11)[19]
Taking the largest: (1d6+6)[9]
Tumbling away of threatened area: (1d20+16)[22] and drawing a dagger as a free action
Jump (hop up, dc 10) (1d20+12)[14]

[Saskia]

Aria climbs up onto a barrel or crate where she can be better seen by her enemies.

Intruders? she calls out defiantly. We are the fist of righteous vengeance itself! Gather before us, and die like impotent cattle!

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Intimidate (1d20+8)[28] to demoralize the enemies.

Addendum: I forgot, there's a -4 penalty for every size category smaller you are than your intimidate target.

[Mantid]

"Death's better than what the boss will do to us if he found us nappin'!" the barbarian roars, as he swings his battleaxe at where he think Zal is, shattering a crate with his blow.

Out of the corner of his eye, the barbarian spots Ari at the foot of the walkway to the storage area. "More of yah? Just not my day," he mumbles, kicking the side of his unconscious companion in an attempt to wake him. The half-orc shifts and the makeshift table tips over, spilling the half-orc onto the ground in a shower of coins and rations.

An awful shriek echoes across the cave from the far ship. A withered, severed head rises up from behind the railing, lifted by a pair of bat-like wings. A tangle of tentacles writhe beneath the head. A second creature soon flies up beside the first, glaring out over the water to see what had interrupted its sleep.

[Gildedragon]

Aria! exclaims Zal, spotting the gnome. He launches himself at the barbarian, dagger and sword in hand. I can handle this guy, thankyouverymuch! Go deal with whatever is a-wailing he cries out, stabbing at the barbarian with his weapons.

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wolf fang strike: (add 1 to the attacks if jump-attacking off the table counts as higher ground)
Shortsword: (1d20+9)[14] (1d6+6)[8]
Dagger: (1d20+9)[28] (1d4+5)[6]
Jump check: (just in case) (1d20+12)[23]

[mistformsquirrl]

"Well, that's different... Alright Zal, I'll leave this one to you!" Ari smiles, turns and moves to confront the pair of winged heads.

[Saskia]

Varguiles? Again? Aria sighs. This cretin has it coming. We have to take out that summoner, and don't let that bat head thing touch you! she calls out to her allies as she loads her crossbow.

With that, Aria begins to sing a ballad about a great Silver Flame champion wading through battle to victory!

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(1d20+23)[40]; inspire courage +1 attack/damage rolls

[Nihilarian]

... Weren't we supposed to be infiltrators? Oh well... Ko murmurs as she begins weaving a spell from shadows.

Ko moves 20 ft. towards the barbarian and casts Voice of Shadow. He must make a DC 15 Will save or fall prone.

[Mantid]

Zal leaps from the table as it topples over, lashing out with with sword and dagger, scoring a clean hit with both. The barbarians stumbles forward, tripping over his companion and falling to the ground. He rolls over with a groan and tries to use his battle ax to push himself back to his feet, but his strength abandons him and collapses to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Ko has barely taken a step toward Zal and the barbarian when the wastelander falls. Shifting his weight he quickly moves toward the varguiles, sending a command to one of the creatures through the plane of shadows. One of the flying heads suddenly flied below the railing, landing on the deck with a soft thud.

Ari runs across the decking, returning to where Aria is sings her strengthening words.

The other varguile watches with confusing, staring down at the deck for a moment before looking up at Zal. The creature opens its mouth and lets out a piercing shriek.

A third varguile appears from inside the boat, rising higher into the air above the screaming one.

OOC

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Ko is in range of the Varguiles shriek attack now. Make a DC 12 fortitude check or be paralyzed with fear for (2d4)[5] rounds.

[Gildedragon]

Pulling himself up, off the barbarian's body, Zal looks around, searching for weapons in the storage area.

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Bow & Arrows? Search (1d20+3)[22]

[Mantid]

Most everything in the storage area is ment to maintain the boats. Ropes, nails, lumber, cloth for sails, tar, and barrels of water or hardtack. Under the upturned table you find a light crossbow and a handful of bolts. A couple of the bolts have snapped from the orc falling on them, but six of them look usable.

[Gildedragon]

Zal grins and begins loading the crossbow. He knows he lacks good range against those flying things. Do these have any weaknesses? Fire? Darkness? he asks as he sprints to catch up with his teammates.

[Saskia]

Still singing, Aria looks at Zal and winks, holding her crossbow aloft with one hand and patting the sheathed sword on her hip with the other. She then refocuses her attention on her team's assailants and takes a shot a the nearest varguille.

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(1d20+6)[24] to hit the creature, (1d8)[5] damage if it connects.

Edit: +1 to hit/damage; forgot my own inspire courage.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari continues to head toward the source of the flying heads, seeking to destroy or disable it.

[Gildedragon]

Zal looks up taking aim with the crossbow before pressing the trigger.
Zal feels the satisfying twang of the bolt launching.

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(1d20+9)[11] (1d8)[6]
Oh +1 to hit and damage, bardsong. Keep forgetting about it